TANNING: Since you spent a ton of money, time and energy preparing - - PDF document

POSING AND PRESENTATION 101 TANNING: Since you spent a ton of money, time and energy preparing for your competition, my suggestion is to spend the extra couple dollars and get professionally tanned. There are services now that will get you tanned and ready to go so you don’t have to worry about applying your own tanning products. There is too much that can go wrong when applying tanning products, I highly recommend getting it done

• professionally. Tanning services have their system down so they get you tanned in half the time and

without any stress! If you are absolutely stuck on tanning yourself, which I do not recommend, below are tips to help you.

• Some individuals will need to apply more color than others, and not all products work well on

every skin type, texture and color

• Exfoliation is important in the weeks prior to show, as well as frequent moisturizing
• Practice color application to ensure your body responds well to the product. Your color can make
• r break your physique so be sure to take the correct precautions and test the product you plan on

using, before your show date! You need to know in advance whether a product is going to produce the results you are looking for and you should also know how many coats it will take to get the color you desire!

• It is usually a good idea to have a base color prior to show product application. I usually do not

promote tanning booths but a few weeks prior to a show it may be a smart idea to get a base color.

• Be sure after applying tanning product to allow to

air dry before getting dressed. You can find out what professional tanning service will be at the event and book with them. SUITS TWO PIECE FIGURE SUIT: The 2 piece suit is very important! A suit can literally make or break you! It needs to be cut perfect. It needs to be cut to flatter both your upper and lower body. This suit has to be tailored to fit your physique and body lines perfectly, in order to enhance your symmetry. The best cut

• f the back of the suit is in an “arrowhead shape”, giving

enough coverage but also revealing enough of the glutes to

show off all your hard work. The “arrowhead” shape enhances the v-tapper of your lats to waist bringing your eyes directly into a v, at the top of the suit bottoms. The suit should not have too much fabric, as to hide too much of your glutes and appear almost like a diaper. Believe it or not, the more material, the bigger your bottom will appear! It depends on YOUR specific body, as far as just how much coverage you should have. Some physiques require less fabric than others of course, and a suit designer should be able to assist you with what would look best for your body. The best top style will depend on the individual, but in general the sweetheart shaped sliding triangle on string flatters most physiques when it is cut well. My suggestion is you have enough coverage so you are not falling out on the sides or revealing too much cleavage. You want the judges attention to be on your physique and not your chest. Keep in mind if you have large breasts or they tend to fall to the sides, you have your suit designer make the suit to pull your breasts to the center and away from your lats so your v-tapper can shine through. Usually this can be done with a simple sewing technique or by using underwire. If you are ordering your suit online, the suit designer will be able to take your measurements, height, current weight and predicted stage weight in order to create a pattern best for you. It is my recommendation to try and find a suit designer that you can visit, in person, so they can physically see your body and take your measurements in person! Sometimes this isn’t always the case so if you are using a suit designer who you communicate with online or over the phone, you will be fine. Be sure to take into account enough time in case you need to make any last minute adjustments. I would always aim at getting your suit sent to you at least two weeks prior to your show so you can be sure it fits like a glove! A Gina Recommended Suit Designer is Aggie Garcia with http://illusionsbyaggie.com/ When it comes to the design of your suit and crystal embellishments, so many girls think that more is better but this is not the case. Remember this is a physique contest not a suit contest. You need to be sure the judges look up and see your beautiful body and not your beautiful suit. Your suit should be beautiful and encrusted with crystals but again, you want it to complement your physique and not take the attention away from your physique. Not only can your suit distract the judges from your proportion, symmetry, balance, conditioning and physical beauty but it can be blinding to the eye, if there are too many crystals. You should also try to stick with basic designs rather than getting crazy with geometrical designs, as this is a sure thing to distract the judges attention from your physique. You don’t want the judges trying to figure out what the decoration is of, do you? I always suggest having your basic design fall into a “V” shape to draw your eyes to the center of your body and give the appearance of that much more of a V-tapper. A suit should be well made, well designed and very attentive to detail. It should be beautiful to look at and enhance your symmetry and skin tone. Suits should be made to match your physiques as well as your skin tone and your overall style and personality. You should consider what color looks best on your skin, keeping in mind you want a color that is going to pop off your skin not blend with it. When you spend the amount of time and effort into their physique and training program, you shouldn’t spear putting in the thought and time to make sure you do your homework and invest in the right suit,

regardless of the price. You can definitely find great deals out there and even borrow or buy a used suit, but a suit is not where you want to try to find a ridiculous deal, as it is just as important as the rest of your preparation. If you do decide to borrow or buy a used suit, be sure you are able to try it on and ensure the fit is perfect before making your final decision. If you opt to have your suit designed specifically for you, be sure to find a designer who is knowledgeable about the criteria and what the judges are looking for. Be sure to go to someone who specializes in Figure Suits and not just any seamstress who says they can make you a suit. Be sure to start thinking of your suit when you start thinking about your show prep. I suggest you get in touch with a suit designer right away to ensure your suit will be ready for your show date. TWO PIECE BIKINI SUITS: In Bikini the suits follow the same importance as in Figure. A Bikini Suit is different in Style, as it is not as embellished with crystals and also has a different cut. The front top should be somewhat of a triangle top, one that compliments your body and is not too revealing. The bottoms of the bikini sit lower than a figure suit and typically have hardware or some type of embellishments along the sides. The back of the bikini is very flattering in a “gathered” look (as seen below). Just like a figure suit, a bikini can make or break your physique so the color and cut should be taken into serious account. You want your suit to compliment your physique and show off your bodylines and hard work without revealing too much. Your suit should be sexy yet classy! Similar to figure suits, bikini suits can be custom made or purchased from a swimwear line. My favorite swimwear line is Beach Bunny’s Swimwear or for custom Bikini’s Aggie Garcia with illusionsbyaggie.com.

HEELS For both bikini and figure, the 5" clear heels usually are best; I do not suggest getting any heels higher than 5”. You can go an inch lower but do not go less than 4” heels. You can choose between the clear heels that are strapless or that have a clear ankle strap. It depends on which you prefer and which are more comfortable for you to walk in! Absolutely do not get the clear heels that have a platform under the toe! Just like your suit, you do not want the attention to be taken down to your feet. You want your heels to compliment your feet and

• verall physique and not take away from it! Be sure you practice walking in your heels!! Start walking

in them the second you get them. Walk around your house in them. Wear them as much as you can so get use to walking in them! You need to know how to walk in your heels! Practice, Practice, Practice! It not only will show if you have never walked in your heels or are not comfortable but it can affect your placing so be sure to practice as much as possible! JEWELRY Less is more! Your jewelry should complement your physique and not be distracting. Necklaces are not

• recommended. I suggest you find a bangle bracelet, thin or thick, a nice ring and simple yet beautiful

earrings such as crystal chandeliers. For Bikini, you can get away with a little more glamour but again, nothing too distracting! HAIR You need to think about how you want to wear your hear, far before your show date. You may want to start playing around with different styles but be sure you choose a style that you feel comfortable

• with. Pick a style that is natural and very similar to how your wear your hair on a daily basis. You want

to feel like you, comfortable and confident in how your hair is styled. If you have curly hair and never wear it straight, do not decide to wear it straight for a show. The show is not the time to experiment with different styles and or colors. Wear a style and color that is going to flatter your face and not draw attention away from you overall physique or beauty. If you decide to color your hair, be sure you stick

with colors that are more natural with your skin tone and ethnicity and do not do anything too crazy or dramatic! If you are planning to wear extensions, be sure to practice putting them in or better yet, have a professional put them in for you. FIGURE QUARTER TURNS: Be sure your poses are well practiced and seem effortless and ballerina like! You want to look like you are not working or trying to hard but rather your poses come natural. You need to keep a natural and genuine smile that show you are enjoying yourself and having a great time! You want to smile bigger than you do in reality, as your smile doesn’t show up as big on stage. Smile like you have never smiled

• before. It may feel funny but it looks normal from the audience. Practice in a mirror so you know just

how big you need to be smiling! Be sure to always stand poised and tall, holding yourself up but not flexing or looking tense. Do not hold your hands too far away from your body. You want to flare out your lats and allow your arms to rest on your lats, nice and relaxed with your fingers falling freely. Be sure you do not have your fingers tense, flexed or as if you are holding a gun. You want your lats to shine through and show off your nice v-tapper. Stand with your feet together, heels touching and either toes together or slightly out. If you tend to have a large gap between your legs, you may want to turn your toes out to close the gap. As you make your quarter turns, the less movement the better. You want to flow from quarter turn to quarter turn in an effortless and non robotic manner. You have worked hard for this day, enjoy your time on stage and show off all your hard work! When you leave the stage, be sure to raise your arm or give a nice smile to the audience, while slightly bending your knees. This is your time to thank the judges and audience for their time. BIKINI TURNS: Just like figure, your poses need to be well practiced and flow smoothly! In bikini, you have a little more flexibility to allow some more movement and personality to come out in your presentation. You should be very confident, sexy but classy! Do not do anything over the top and keep your class as #1! Be sure to always stand poised and I recommend keeping one hand on your hip and the less movement the better. Allow the other hand that is not on your hip to hang freely. You can stand with both feet together, with the heel of your front foot in the arch of your back foot or you can stand with one leg cocked out to the

• side. It is my suggestion that if you have longer leaner legs you keep feet closer together and if you

have curvier more muscular legs you keep them separated. From the back, you can keep your feet in either similar position (together or apart) and stick your glutes out. The key here is to round out your glutes but do not stick them out too much! It is nice to glace over one of your shoulders and make eye contact with the judges with a nice smile! The key in Bikini is to be extremely confident and move freely, allowing your personality to take over the stage! Practice makes perfect. It is essential that you practice your posing and stage presentation at least 10-12 weeks out. You should seek the advice from a professional who can help you master your quarter turns, model turns, bikini poses, walking and overall stage presentation. You need to be confident,

comfortable, natural but more than anything, you need to be you and show off your personality and all the hard work you have accomplished!! You spend so much time, money, energy and planning to not present your package properly. It is a shame to put in all the work and then not know how to show it off. Presentation is such a huge part of your overall package and what can make or break your physique and overall appearance so be sure you practice more than you think you need to! The biggest thing is to have fun and enjoy your time, as it goes by quick! Give to the stage the confidence you have within you, you have and things come to those who put in their time, efforts and hard work!!

“Give to the stage the best you have, and the best will shine through, no matter what!”~ Gina Aliotti-Silva